Home built leveler scraper...

[NormL]

I don't expect anyone has never been frustrated while trying to level an uneven surface such as a driveway using a back blade on the 3PTH. I've been thinking about and planning to build this implement ever since my first time using the back blade. Well, a few weeks ago I got started and I'm up to the point where I have tested it out and determined some of things I'm not happy with.

The first three photos show the basic materials I started with. I had to separate the C-channels as they were riveted together. Photos 4 and 5 show the positioning of the front blade. It's purpose is to bite into and loosen up high spots. Photo 6 shows the rear blade that picks up and drags the loosened bits left by the front blade. 7 and 8 give an indication how it will smooth out the dirt I had hauled in to fill some of the low spots on our property.

OK, now the changes pending: Those chains have GOT to go! And that brace at the back, too. It interferes with the loading of the rear blade. The only chain that will stay is what I'm using as the top link. It's only there for lifting the whole business off the ground. I need to reinforce everything some more to make it more rugged. Also, it needs to be heavier so I plan to place angle iron so that I can pile on patio blocks for ballast.

 

[NHmitch]

That thing is amazing! We have been using a drag that I made out of chain link fence attached to a railroad tie that I pull with a chain attached to two eye hooks, but I like that Idea much better. I like the tractor too! That is one heck of a work light on the roof, that must light up the entire area in front of the tractor at night. Thanks for posting the idea, and the photos!

 

[Ken45101]

That's just a piece of flat bar across the back? I think the first time you find something that doesn't want to move (rock, root, etc.) it is going to bend.

I'm thinking about making one with the typical angle iron (open face down) and I'm afraid that 4x4x1/4" angle won't last past the first immoveable rock.

Ken

 

[NormL]

That thing is amazing! We have been using a drag that I made out of chain link fence attached to a railroad tie that I pull with a chain attached to two eye hooks, but I like that Idea much better. I like the tractor too! That is one heck of a work light on the roof, that must light up the entire area in front of the tractor at night. Thanks for posting the idea, and the photos!

Those lights probably did that when they were working. I bought it with a grocery list of issues for cheap and one high on the list is a crippled charging system. But she's a sweet little worker with a slow gear for baling and a live PTO, things the other tractor I have, an old Ford 601 does not.

The pictures don't show it very well but the front blade is welded to the bottom side of the C-channels with the good cutting edge - I got these blades used from the municipality - facing down. The theory behind that is the front blade will only cut up to an inch or so and take down high spots. That material will get pushed over the blade as it moves along and be picked up by the rear blade which is mounted with the good cutting edge flush with the bottom of the rear of the C-channel. Once I have replaced the chains with rigid bracing, I'll move that rear brace, which is interfering with the overflow at the rear blade, far enough forward to allow overflow. For leveling dirt, I may hitch on a water filled/weighted roller for compaction. We'll see.

 

[NormL]

That's just a piece of flat bar across the back? I think the first time you find something that doesn't want to move (rock, root, etc.) it is going to bend.

I'm thinking about making one with the typical angle iron (open face down) and I'm afraid that 4x4x1/4" angle won't last past the first immoveable rock.

Ken

Nope, that's a pretty stiff and hefty grader blade (used) and with the brace in there, one of the welds will break instead. If I find that happening (and I don't have a lot of big rocks here) I'll gusset the corners top and bottom or wherever it seems appropriate and see if that works. Thanks for the heads up! Norm

 

[Ken45101]

I don't have a lot of big rocks here

We obviously live in different worlds :laughing:

I have rocks here that will stop a tracked skid steer!

Ken

 

[NormL]

We obviously live in different worlds :laughing:

I have rocks here that will stop a tracked skid steer!

Ken

:laughing:

Where I have to watch for rocks is on my driveway. That's where this will get the most use once the land leveling is complete. Those can be fist sized and some are larger but that is the extent of it.

What I have to be wary of when I put a cultivator into the ground is "buried treasure". Some goof who used to live here thought it was OK to leave some rather large bits of steel from old implements scattered around. A good deal of this is just below the surface. I dare not go in with the rototiller before I have cultivated and / or disked first. Quite a lot of my property needs digging up in preparation for replanting shelter belts, etc. These buried treasures are not helping!

 

[Ken45101]

Yeah, our farm was started in 1820 and a lot of stuff has been buried over the years although I haven't found anything big.

My big problem for a scraper is on some of the trails I built, which is where I want the leveler/scraper. The hillside has obviously slid over the eons and I've found some 3'x4'x6" rocks buried vertically. They will stop the skid steer with the bucket. I'm afraid that a leveler will get hung up and bend in undesired ways...

 

[Artisan]

Thanx for the pics, if you make some mods post up more, you'll get er done!

 

[NormL]

The scraper I built was never meant for the garden tractor to pull but just for fun I tried it anyway. As expected, it would sit and spin whenever the front blade took a bite of any high spots. I needed to build one garden tractor size!

So, when one of my coffee shop friends informed me that he had located a steel I-beam 5' long, I was good to go!:thumbsup:

1) Ready to get started 2) leveled and squared - kinda 3) ready to test drive 4 & 5) too much weight and too much bite; stopped me cold and also not enough room for debris to spill over the back 6) obviously no wire mesh in this block and so it broke after about an hour. Probably had a crack to begin with.

For now this implement will hitch up with a chain. The garden tractor has no 3PTH - yet. I need that for the roto-tiller so when I have it, I'll make those changes. For now it is doing a fine job taking down high spots and grading gravel where I don't want to go with the bigger one.:thumbsup: